Return to the Modern Razor...and never again.

Okay. So it was Prom night and I was just about to shave. Had my J.A. Henckels and then a thought hit me. What if I mess up bad this time. I have the bad luck at messing up at the most important times and with a razor that could be deadly. So I decided to retry the "old" Gillette Fusion to be on the safe side.

And it was terrible.

I had rash, bumps, pain, more nicks than I ever had with a straight razor, and irritation. The Nivea After-shave Balm didn't do anything it does when it's just a straight shave. Smooth but red and bumpy. My parents, that were pleased to hear me shave "normally" for once were shocked to see what their method of shaving had done in contrast with my method of shaving. I felt like I had inadvertently proved a point. So I went to prom with an irritated, bumpy face. Thank God I didn't have enough money for pictures. :p Also, to my disappointment, I ordered a tophat with super-fast shipping for prom only it wasn't fast enough. So that sucks

Never again will I shave with a modern razor. I'll do the Henckels shave tonight.

Has this ever happened to you?

That's too bad, but on the positive side, now it sounds like you a have perfectly good reason to invest in a DE for just such occasions. They're fairly inexpensive and the blades are inexpensive as well. You'll find a DE or SE a perfect substitute for the times when you don't want to risk a shaving mistake or you don't have the time for a straight shave.

+1 on the DE, believe it or not I had a very similar experience with my prom a few weeks ago, except for me, it was rushing the DE. I was bleeding everywhere, lots of little weepers that just wouldn't quit for quite a while. I anticipated saving time, but I would have been better off (and about the same time) with a quick one or 1.5 pass straight shave. I am still learning the DE though so that is something to consider. I've also learned (now) that a one pass shave is "visibly" smooth. No one is going to know you skimped. Now if you get into things with your date she might figure it out, but at that point I don't think a little stubble will matter!

Yep! A DE is handy to have on those 'special/hurried' occasions. I mainly shave with a str8 but do have some DE's laying around collecting dust. When time is short and I need to pick up one of the DE's the only problem is deciding which one; Red Tip, New Open Comb, Slim Adjustable, Fatboy, Super Adjustable or Black Beauty Adjustable...........

I've learned the hard (bloody) way that when I'm tired or rushed, not to use the straight but instead use the DE. DE's and blades are cheap but certainly not as good or as fun.

+100 on the DE suggestions. Best 10 bucks I've spent in a long time.

I wish i could say I had that same dilema on my prom night. If I'd started shaving with a straight back then I would now have 34 years straight shaving experience under my belt. Be glad you discovered this gentlemanly way of shaving at such a young age. Fortunately you only suffered one (albeit important) night with a bad shave, not half a lifetime of poor to mediocre shaves like many of us older guys. BTW, if your date is a classy lady she won't hold the bad shave against you;).

Not that I'm against DEs, but when I don't have time for a full straight shave I just do a single WTG pass with my straight. It only takes 1 or 2 minutes longer than using a safety.

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Originally Posted by LinacMan

I wish i could say I had that same dilema on my prom night. If I'd started shaving with a straight back then I would now have 34 years straight shaving experience under my belt. Be glad you discovered this gentlemanly way of shaving at such a young age. Fortunately you only suffered one (albeit important) night with a bad shave, not half a lifetime of poor to mediocre shaves like many of us older guys. BTW, if your date is a classy lady she won't hold the bad shave against you;).

Not that I'm against DEs, but when I don't have time for a full straight shave I just do a single WTG pass with my straight. It only takes 1 or 2 minutes longer than using a safety.

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Good point! One pass with a str8 may not last a long as a full str8 shave but you will look good for a while when it counts.

I've found that some of my straights shave faster than others. Weird claim, I know, but it's a consistent thing. I'm just more comfortable with some; the ergonomics are just right and the edge is always good. The 6/8 full-hollow Sheffield with the jimped thumb notch--it's got it all. Grip, comfort, heft, and you don't have to stop and rinse as often on that wider blade. Oh, and the rounded tip, that lets me push the pace a little without leaving marks. My singing blade with the square tip, though, there's NO rushing it. It gets hungry when you make it hurry.

A good sharp blade shaves faster than one that needs refreshing. If this was your Junior Prom, you'll know to leave more time for shaving next year. And/or, remember this lesson for your wedding day!

Best wishes to you.

Traitor!! You've commited the harshest of crimes reverting to "modern" razors!! Haha just kidding, I completely understand where you're coming from. The difference in quality, both skin and shave, when you go back to using the modern 10 blade stuff they have after using straight razors makes you realize how you ever used to shave with those things. The razor burn, bumps, and ingrown hairs are enough to keep me away from them. Great learning lesson.

Hope you enjoyed your prom man!

What got me into DEs and now primarily straights was the terrible and uncomfortable shaving experiences I had with the multiblade disposables and cartridges. And this lasted several decades.

Since I gave up that junk two years ago some stores now put these razors and cartridges in locked boxes, because they have become so expensive.

The funny thing about it is that people think I'm nuts to use the old time shave equipment. Guess what I think of them for falling for the current fare at your friendly shopping centers.

Yes, as comicala s it may sound I've had close to the exact same experience, only with an even more obvious contrast. When I was just starting out I decided to avoid some of the more sharper angles on my face. I have a pretty defined face with many sharper lines which cause some difficuty in hitting correctly with a SR.
Anyways, I had a single area on my neck that was kinda difficult. The size of a playing card approximately. I decided to shave this single area with a cartridge gilette razor. The next day my face looks perfect everywhere except for the exact area where i shaved with the cartridge razor. This particular area had all the same symptoms you describe.

Never again!